Bag turning



(N8Moae1,)- l 8sneets+sneet1- J. W. WELLS. BAG TURNING. FOLDING, ANDVPNINTINGMAGHINE.

No. 8778972. Patented F88v 14, 1888,

vI NQ (No Model.)

` l `2 shetssheet 1; J. W. WELLS. BAG TURNING, FOLDING, AND PRINTING MNGIII'NB.

P atenIe-d Feb..-1,4, 1G88.`-

No. 377,972.l

NITED STATES;

PATENT ,Y Gruen.-

'JOHN w. WELLS, on MANCHESTER, NEWIHAMPSHIRE.

BAG TURNING, FOLDING, AND PRINTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,972, dated February 14, 1888.

Application filed January 22, 1887. Serial No. 225,067. (No model.) l

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be itknown that I, J oHN W. WELLS, of Manchester, county of Hillsborough, State of New off from the turning devices by a pair of rolls Hampshire, have invented an Improvement iny Bag Turning,Folding,and Printing Machines, of which the following' description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to a-'machine for turning bags after the mouths of the bags have been liemmed, which is done when they are wrong side out, and for folding the bags and printing upon them the usual trade-mark, the bags leaving the machine ready. for baling and Shipment. l

The machine embodying the invention comprises in its construction a pair of turning devices consisting of slide-rods, the ends of which have a to-andfro movement, and in their forward movement also have a lateral movement, so that at the end of the forward `move1nent, in which they have carried the bottom orV closed portion of the bag forward through the open mouth of the bag, thus turning the same, they are separated to the full width of the bag-and remain in this position while the bag is drawn that form the next element in the machine. The turning devices thus operate to spread the bag as it is carried forward by the rolls upon atableprovided with a transverse slit, through which the bag is forced by a reciprocating blade into the bite of a pair of folding-rolls, which thus fold the bag once across. As shown, in this instance the machine is constructed to fold the bag twice across, and from the first pair of folding-rolls it is fed upon another similar table provided `with* a transverse slit, through which the bag is carried by another blade into the bite of another pair of foldingrolls, from which it is fed upon a sliding table or platen.. While on this platen it is acted upon by the printing device, which prints any desired mark or title upon the bag, after which the platen moves from beneath the printing device, carrying the bag with it. The bag is then deposited on a suitable receiver,while the printing device descends below the level of the platen upon an inked surface and is inked ready for the next impression. The printed bags are then automatically piled with the alternate bags in reversed positinrelating to those between them ready for baling.

The various appliances thus far described are organized into a single machine having actuating mechanism, by which the different devices have their movement properly timed with relation to one another, and the various operations are performed upon the bags one after another withoutinterruption, there being a number of bags in the machine at a time, and the consecutive operations being performed on the series of different bags simultaneously.

Figure lis a side elevation of the main portion of a machine for turning, folding, 'and Aprinting bags embodying this invention; Fig.

2, a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 2*? is a detail hereinafter referred to; Fig. 3, a plan view thereof with the bagsupporting table removed; Figs. 4 and 5, a sideelevatio'n and plan view of the bag-piling devices; Fig. 6, a'transv verse vertical section of the printing devices, and Fig. 7 a detail to be referred to.

rlhe bags to be turned may be placed in a pile upon a suitable table or support, a, shown as placed directly over the turning devices b, which consist of a pair of rods pivoted at b (see Fig. 3) upon a reciprocating carriage, b2, that travels on guides b3, being actuated by a pitrnan, if, and crank b5 on av shaft provided with a toothed gear, b, meshing with a mutilated gear, 127, which causes the carriage to dwell or remain stationary in its forward position fora sufficient time to permit the bag to be drawn oftl from the forward end of the turning devices by a pair of rolls, c c.

The rods or shanks of the turning devices b travel in swiveled guides 128, which are wider apart than the pivotal points b of thesaid rods,

IOO

rolls c c', and will spread its mouth, and then, l

when the said turning devices are drawn back, will hold the bag so that its body will be caught by the turning devices and carried forward through the mouth of the bag, which is held open for this purpose by the operator, the folding devices then being near together and passing readily with the body of the bag through the open mouth thereof. The operator will hold back the mouth, so that the turning devices in their forward movement pass clear to the bottom of the bag, and at the end of their forward movement they will be spread the width of the bag, thus stretchingit or laying it.out fiat at the bottom and carrying the bottom into the bite of the rolls c c', which may revolve continuously and which draw the bag od from the folding devices while the latter dwell in their extreme forward position, so that the latter spread the entire body of the bag fiat as it enters the rolls, which latter have sufficient pressure to smooth the bag. After a bag has thus been drawn off from the turning devices the latter move backward and forward to turn the next bag, which has been picked up in the meantime by the operator.

The bag which has just been turned is carried forward by the rolls c c upon a folding table, d, inclined slightly downward from the said rolls, so that the bag readily travels along it when fed from behind by the rolls. As soon as the bag has come fully on the table d it has the first fold applied to it by means of a reciprocating folding-plate, e, (best shown in Fig. 2,) which in this instance acts on the bag at about one-third the distance from its lower end and carries the body of the bag through a slit, d2, in the table d into thebite of a pair of rolls, f, which fold the lower third of the bag back upon the middle third and deposit the bag thus folded once across upon the second folding-table g.

As one bag is drawn off from the table d and folded once across and deposited upon the table g another bag has been turned by the devices b and deposited on the table d, and while this latter bag is being folded by the rolls f, as has just been described, the bag previously folded and deposited on the table g is folded a second time at a point about one-third the distance from upper end by a similar folding mechanism, consisting of a blade, h, and pair of rolls fi, which deposit the bag folded twice across upon an inclined slide, k, from which it proceeds by the action of gravity, assisted by continuously-moving tapes m, upon a platen, ln, where it is acted upon by the printing device o. A stop, n', at the front end of the platen u stops the bag in its forward movement, produced by the tapes m., in the proper position to receive the impression, and after the impression is made the platen n moves f orward and the stop n is removed from in front of it, as shown in the drawings, and the printed bag is removed from the platen, as will be hereinafter described, and while said platen is in v its forward position the printing device o descends below the level of the platen into an ink-receptacle, where it receives a supply of ink for the next impression.

The various devices thus far described may all be actuated at the proper times by any suitable or usual train of mechanism. As herein shown, the power is supplied to a main shaft, t, near the rolls c c', and provided with suitable gearing, t', by which the said rolls are actuated with a continuous uniform rotary movement. The said shaft t is connected by beveled gearing t2 with a shaft, t, connected by beveled gearing t* with the shaft of the mutilated gear bl, beforeI mentioned, by which the turning devices are actuated with an 'intermittent movement, dwelling in their forward position, while the bag is drawn off from them, as before described.

The pairs of folding-rolls f f and t' i are geared together at one end, as represented at f i', Fig. l, and are actuated with a continuous rotary movement by suitable gearing, L5, from a shaft, t, driven by a belt, t7, and suitable pulleys from a shaft, tl", driven from the main shaft t by gearing t1".

The folding-blades e and h are connected with rods e h', respectively Working in guides e2 h2 ou the framework, and connected by links e3 h3 with a carriage,e,working in guides e5v at either side of the machine, and each actuated by an arm, e, on a rock-shaft, el, having another arm, es, which is connected with a rod, e9, forked at its end to embrace and be guided by the actuating-shaft t, aud provided with a cam projection entering a groove in a cam, ew, (see Fig. 2,) on the main shaft, by which the said rod es is caused to make a toand-fro movement at each rotation of the main shaft, raising the blades, while the bags are fed along the table, into the position beneath them, and then depressing the blades to fold the bags into the corresponding pairs of rollers.

The shank or stem o', that supports the printing device o, (see Figs. 2 and 6,) is provided with a cam-roller actuated by a cam, 0*, on a shaft, o3, connected by beveled gears o with a shaft, of', connected by beveled gears o6 with the main shaft t, so that the camshaft o revolves once at each revolution of the main shaft, the cam-groove being so constructed, as best shown in Fig. 2, to first raise the printing device to its highest position, (which takes place while a bag is passing upon the platen a from the folding-rolls 5,) and to then depress the printing device far enough to force it upon the folded bag, and then raise the printing de vice to permit the platen and printed bag to be Withdrawn from beneath it,and then to depress the printing device into au ink-receptacle, p, (see Figs. 2 and 6,) below the platen, when the cam preferably gives the printing device a short additional up-anddown movement to bring it a second time in contactwith the inked surface, and then raises it to 'its highest position while the platen returns to its position beneath the printing device, and the next bag is deposited on the said platen'.

rIhe platen a is actuated fromv the shaft o3 by a cam, n2, engaging a projection on a rod, ai, connected with an arm, n4, on arock-shaft, ai", provided with an arm, n, having a slotted or forked extremity that engages a projection, nl, from the platen, causing it to move backward and forward at the proper times with relation to the movement of the printing device be! fore described.

The stop n is connected with an arm on the rock-shaft a? in such position that when the platen is moved back beneath the printing device the arm carrying the stop a' will be about perpendicular, and the stop will consequently project above the platen, as shown in Fig. 2; but when the said platen is moved forward after the impression has taken place the stop n will drop below the level of the platen, as

" shown in Figs. l and 2, leaving the bags free to be carried forward by the tapes m, the rollers of whichare actuated by gearing m', driven from the drivinggear of one of the rollers i.

The inking mechanism consists, essentially, of an endless apron, 1^, mounted upon rolls r in an ink-reservoir, the shafts of the said rolls extending out through the sidevof the reservoir, and being provided with worm-gears r3, actuated by worms r* on a shaft, 1"5, driven by a belt, r, from a pulley, T7, actuated from the shaft t6. -The belt r6 is made slack and controlled by an idler, rs,- operated from the rock shaft ai by a rod, r9, connected with the arm ne, the idler being raised to slacken the belt when the platen is moved forward and the imprinting device is being moved down upon the inking-apron r, so that the said apron does not move while the impressing device is in contact with it, and is thus relieved from the wear which would otherwise take place. When the impressing device is raised and the platen moved back, the belt r6 is tightened, causing the apron to travel agai'n,so as to be thoroughly coated with ink.

Oountin g mechanism is preferably provided, shown as consisting of a ratchet-disk, u, having a number of teeth equal to the number of bags commonly packed in a single bale or parcel-, for instance, fifty or one hundred-said ratchets being actuated by a pawl, u', moved by an eccentric, u?, on the shaft o5, and the ratchet-disk is provided with a projection, at, which at the end of a revolution will actuate a bell or other signal, notifying the attendant to remove the pile of bags.

The bags are delivered from the machine tinuation of the machine beyond the parts .shown in the other figure.

As a bag when folded is thicker at one side thany the other, it is necessary, in order to produce a uniform pile, that the alternate folded bags should be turned in opposite directions. This is accomplished automatically by turning the pile of bags half-way around immediately after each additional bag is dropped upon it and before the next one is dropped.

rlhe bags are carried by tapesw w20 from thel l tapes m (by which they are carried forward and delivered from the'platen a) onto a table, w', made in two parts movable laterally toward and from one another, as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 5, in guides @02. (See Fig. 4.) The said table or movable support wis placed over a basket, w3, of suitable shape to receive the folded bags within it. 'A stop, w, arrests the folded bag when in proper posit-ion to drop the bag directly down into the basket w3, and immediately after the bag has been carried forwardonto the table w by the tapesw w20 the parts of the said table are separated or moved apart, permitting the bag to drop down into the basket. The tapes af, by which the bag is carried along the table 'w' to the stop 104, en-

gage the folded bag near its edge, so that they Y will not support it when the table is moved from beneath.- The parts w of the table are operated by arms 205, connected with rockshafts w6 wl, themselves connected by gearing we, so that both move simultaneously, the shaft fw6 being operated by a crank, rw", (see Fig. 4,) connected by a link, w1, with the arm n, before mentioned as a part of the platenactuating mechanism. n The basket 103 is supported on a pivot provided with a ratchet, y, (see Fig. 4,) and havv ing a gear, y', loose upon it, and provided with a pawl that engages the said ratchet, so as to turn the shaft in one direction only. The said gear y meshes with a gear, y2, on the shaft ya, provided with a crank, y, connected by a link, yi", with an arm, yi, from the rock-shaft n, before mentioned, so that the said gear y2 is oscillatedy back and forth at each movement of the platen, being so arranged that the backward movement, which does not produce any movement of the basket, takes place at the time when the parts of the table 'w' are separated, and the forward movement, that turns the basket half around, takes place while the parts of the table are closed and after the bag has dropped into the basket. A stop, y7 ys, arrests the basket when it has turned tok the right position, the said stop being operated` by the shaft y3 in such manner as to release thel basket when the shaft is turned back, thus leaving the basket unlocked when the shaftbegins its forward movement that turns the basket.

As shown in Fig. 7, the movable member of the stop is a bolt that engages a projection, yl, at the end of the side of the basket; said bolt being operated by a cam, yg, on the shaft ya, which permits the said bolt to be withdrawn from the path of the projection yl, when the basket-actuating gear y is turned back, ready to begin its forward movement, by which the basket is turned. At the end of this forward movement the projection yE is again brought into the path of the projection y7 at the other side of the basket, which stops the basket when IOO it is turnedjust halfround, the backward movement or recoil of the basket being prevented by a retaining-pawl, 11.

I claim- 1. The combination of the reciprocating turning devices, and rolls that draw the turned bag therefrom, with the folding-table that re ceives the bag from said rolls, and folding devices operating upon the bag ons-aid foldingtable, and actuating mechanism,substantially as described, common to said turning and folding devices, whereby Atheir operations are timed with relation to one another, substantially as set forth.

2. rlhe combination of the reciprocating turning devices, and rollers that draw the turned bag therefrom, and the folding-table that receives the bag from said rolls, and folding devices operating upon the bag on said folding-table, with a platen or support that receives the folded bag, and a printing device that operates on said folded bag, and actuating mechanism, substantially as described, common to all said devices.

3. The combination of the turning devices having a t'o-andgfro and lateral movement, and actuating mechanism, substantially as described, that produces the saidtoand-fro movement and causes the turning devices to dwell in their forwardmost separate position,

. with apair of rolls that receive the turned bag and. draw it oft' from the turning devices while in their forward position, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the turning` devices having a toand-fro and lateral movement, and actuating mechanism, substantially as described, that produces the said to-and-fro movement and causes the turning devices to dwell in their forwardmost separate position, and a pair of rolls that receive the turned bag and draw it off from the turning devices While in their forward position, and a folding-table that receives the bag from said rol1s,and folding devices, whereby the bag is removed from said table and folded while another bag is being turned and fed upon the table, substan tially as described.

5. The bag-receiver pivoted on a shaft, as described, combined with actuating mechanism, substantially as described, by which the said receiver is intermittingly rotated on its shaft, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the folding devices and movable platen, on which the folded bags lare delivered therefrom, with a printing device above and an ink-receptacle below the said platen, tapes for conveying the bags onto and off from the said platen, and a movable stop for arresting the bags on the platen while being printed, and actuating mechanism, substantiall y as described, common to allthe said devices, whereby the operationsA of folding, printing, and delivering are performed at the proper times, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a movable platen and printing device above and ink-receptacle below the said platen, with a movable ink dis tributer. or apron in said receptacle, and actuating mechanism, substantially as described, therefor, governed by the movement of tlie platen, as described, whereby the said ink-dis` tribnter is in motion while the platen is beneath the printing device and has its motion cease when the platen is removed from beneath the printing device, and the latter descends upon the ink-distributer, substantially as described.

8. The combinatiomwith a receiver or basket capable of rotation, with a separable two-part support or table above said basket, of actuating mechanism, substantially as described, for the said table and basket, whereby the latter is turned while the table is closed over it,

and the table is then separated to drop the ar ticle supported on it into the basket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN XV. W'ELLS.

Witnesses:

D. ARTHUR TAGGART, ARTHUR H. HALE.

ssy 

